Oceania's 170 million milk litre milk supply surpasses initial target

In August, they are due to start sending milk to the new $210
million milk-drying plant just north of Glenavy, South
Canterbury.

The factory is being built for the China's Inner Mongolia
Yili Industrial Group, which in April last year bought the
38ha site and resource consents from Oceania Dairy.

The latter said in a statement the initial supply target of
130 million litres has been surpassed, with contracts signed
for 170 million litres in the 2014-15 season.

Chief executive Aidan Johnstone said the company was
delighted with the dairying community's support.

''The response from local farmers has been extremely positive
and their strong interest in supplying Oceania has resulted
in us exceeding our target milk supply volume.''

The factory would operate at about 65% of capacity in its
first year, producing 30,000 tonnes of milk powder. At full
production, the annual output would be 47,000 tonnes.

Oceania Dairy signed its first milk supply agreement for the
factory late last year with local dairy pioneers Aad and
Wilma van Leeuwen, who represent a group of foundation
suppliers from 20 individual farms.

There had since been keen inquiries from farmers in the South
Canterbury-North Otago region, which was Oceania's natural
catchment, the company said. It had identified farms within a
50km radius of the Glenavy factory as its ''home'' collection
area.